Venomous Energon
Oxide Dunes - Rust Seas An accumulation of rust from millions of years of storms in a wide patch of land within the Rust Seas, the dunes are great, sweeping hills of pure red granular oxidation. Light-weight mechs typically won't have a problem, but the larger they are, the more they struggle to walk through the sand-like rust. It stretches on for miles before leveling out into the pale sienna surface metal of Cybertron's crust. It's FRICKIN' HOT. Because Cybertron has like, two suns (maybe) and there is no shade out here in the DESERT. And while it's hot, it's also windy. Gusts die down every half hour or so, and only for a few nanos! 'Bots are following coordinates, and it's leading them away from civilization by quite a bit. Seeing as they're near a major spaceport, the sky usually has one or two commercial shuttles coasting in and out of the area. Tires or feet, it's going to be difficult traveling across sifting dunes of granulated rust. Rodimus Prime transforms into his Cybertronian Racing Winnebago mode. Cybertronian Racing Winnebago revs slowly through the dunes, at the head of the traveling Autobot caravan. On his dashboard, Datapop is in his holo projector mode, replaying footage of the poor mech that Brainstorm and Torque had found. "No need for further replays, Datapop. I can start reciting the dialogue on my own at this point." He splashes a bit of cleaner across his windshield. "Let's hope that the next mystery poison we have to investigate is in the Sea of Mercury. Rewind, what's our progress looking like?" Lamborghini Aventador is cruising along, but...not with the usual speed he would like. There's a peculiar hiss in the mid and upper RPM range indicating a blown set of turbochargers, and beyond that there still appears to be complications. Still, he came, not soon after getting some much-needed repair work, simply because... well, he failed the last operation. Beyond that? He also heard there was something to do about possible energon-related disease, and he does happen to hold a rather peculiar specialty in that field of study. Even if it gives everyone else the heebie-jeebies. "Sounds like a spun bearing... feels like a spun bearing. With luck, it will work itself out," he offers to the passenger in his cab. "At least I can keep up, somewhat." <'Cybertron'> Hydrax ATC Glidescope says, "Hey-ho visitors! Er, Autobots. If you venture too far into the desert you're gonna' run into some trouble with the wildlife. Don't expect us to come assist or haul ya' back!" <'Cybertron'> Rodimus Prime says, "We appreciate the warning. Hopefully we won't be in the need of too much hauling." Spindrift is probably the one mech on this little tour trip into the middle of Nowhere, Cybertron. Because, you know, armadillo. Being able to handle hot and dusty isn't an issue. He's also very durable. Which is probably why he's the one made to ride with Wraith. In case Wraith has to emp things again, he's not going to be all that bothered. "Bounces over dunes like a spun bearing." As the 'bots zoom across the landscape, the observant may spot a trio of large red, rusty fins poking up out of the rust sand. They trail after the cars, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake. Eventually one breeches the "surface", making its species fairly clear: oxide shark. The group will come upon the coordinates soon, though there are no structures for miles and miles in every direction. Just big ole' antlion pits that they have to weave around. Cybertronian Racing Winnebago falls back a bit to line up with Wraith. "Holding up ok? I know energon is your thing, but we could have easily brought someone less...Lamborghini." And then, a proximity chime. "Looks like we've scored the interest of some local wildlife...Let's head east around the antlion pits." Prime sighs. "I hate having to say sentences like that." Lamborghini Aventador coughs softly. "It is hardly the form that is holding me up. It is the damages sustained earlier that are causing problems. I do not anticipate any...dire problems, though, the degradation is not worsening." He is too focused on his own diagnostics for the time being to notice the tail...that's what he has passengers for. Though, the mention of the antlion pits catches him in time to start turning. "Following you, Prime." Combat: Cybertronian Racing Winnebago runs a diagnostic check on Lamborghini Aventador ROLL: Rewind rolled a 56 ROLL: Spindrift rolled a 40 ROLL: Wraith rolled a 22 ROLL: Rodimus Prime rolled a 14 Solstice has arrived. Spindrift sits up to peer out a window as Rodimus mentions going around antlion holes. Tail flicks back and forth almost as if counting how many seconds it takes Rewind to come up with some obscure trivia about them. "Don't worry if any thing tries to attack us I'll use my forcefield on ya." Unfolding, reshaping and folding back, Solstice becomes a sunset orange Koenigsegg. Rewind is riding on one of Wraith's seats. Sure, Rodimus is a sweet ride, but Wraith is pretty darn cool, too. He leans out to answer Prime, "I think we'll be there in about 8.5 breems... if we have the right coordinates...." Leaning back onto his seat, he talks to Wraith. "I'm just glad you're feeling well enough to make it out here with us! You seem to have some impressive stamina!" Solstice follows behind Rodimus and Wraith, wheels a-spinning. A clever or observant being may notice that her tires just aren't touching the surface, they're just over the surface and her dust plume may not be quite the same viscosity or shape. But at least she's out and about, internal dialogue nothing to really share. They're right on the coordinates! But... nothing is there. Just... antlion pits. Perhaps they were deceived... The oxide sharks continue to follow silently. The moment anyone slows up, the lead one thrashes through the rust sand and dives sharply, only to pop up right beneath Prime's rear tires. Giant silver teeth emerge and try to rip up rubber! Arcee has arrived. Cybertronian Racing Winnebago slows to a stop. "You should have said something, Wraith. I'd be happy to fix you uUPPP! Prime is cut off by a shark biting into his front right wheel. That's a new one. "Oh hey, I caught something!" Prime transforms, pulling the shark up in a bear hug. "And it's a whopper, alright!" He wrestles around with the shark a bit. "'Bots, maybe something nonlethal to discourage our...exciting new friends?" Rodimus Prime dares to transform into his HEROIC ROBOT MODE! Blood! Will! Mighty hands of steel! "It is not stamina, but more my not knowing what's best for me, I'm sure." Wraith suddenly catches the plumes of not-so-friendly-dust in his vicinity and jerks the wheel hard to give Rodimus some room to juke and maneuver. "Head's up! We've got some ugly company." There's the hum of various systems charging...which might have some residual static going to those riding in his cab. Glad none of them have hair... "Nonlethal, coming up." There's a nice 'ZAP' as the capacitor unloads a stunning (hah) display of electricity towards the little snapper. Spindrift ... just buries his face in a forepaw as Rodimus is making fishing puns about 'catching' an oxide shark Solstice brakes, power sliding past the transforming Prime into an easy 180, "Don't have much in th' way of non-lethal, sir." Transforming herself (and remaining just over the manky dirt), she pulls her stave out with a spin, "I can try t' pry 'em off, sir?" The Koenigsegg splits, unfolds and reshapes upwards into Solstice. Rewind says, "Heh- well, I'm glad you're here." Then he hmmms at the sight of the oxide sharks. "Did you know Earth sharks have to keep swimming or they'll die? I wonder if oxide sharks are similar..." he starts searching through his databanks, trying to find out. In the meantime, he leans out the window to try and help some, sending a bright flash from his Light beacon to try and blind the creatures without doing the same to his friends." Prime manages to bearhug the (confused) oxide shark, which seems to realize this is not the average mech to pluck from the surface, and tries to wriggle free, flinging sand everywhere. Rewind does indeed blind its buddies, and they begin to high-tail it as soon as their leader is released. There is a sudden rumbling, at first distant, then seemingly right below their feet. The rust sand begins to shrink away beneath them, dipping into a giant pit. Everyone starts to sink! Arcee darts ahead to gracefully transform into her pink Cybertronian Tech Car, engine purring, ready to go! Stylish! Arcee slides into an antlion pit! Arcee has left. Wraith slides into an antlion pit! Wraith has left. You slide into an antlion pit! Hidden Settlement - Rust Seas Below the antlion pit is a hatch that exits into a narrow shaft, leaning to a series of tunnels. All of them appear to lead to a tremendous underground chamber, seemingly chiseled out of the solid crust metal by drills. It's large enough to house a rather rural neutral settlement and its hundred or so inhabitants. The buildings are domed and low, no more than three stories, and the roads are set up in a circular spiderweb-like pattern. Everything seems somewhat dim here, and washed in a shade of orange due to the light-producing orb positioned in the center of the impressively high chamber ceiling. Spindrift tumbles down from the hidden hatch, showered in rust sand. Spindrift has arrived. Rodimus Prime tumbles down from the hidden hatch, showered in rust sand. Rodimus Prime has arrived. Solstice tumbles down from the hidden hatch, showered in rust sand. Solstice has arrived. Rewind tumbles down from the hidden hatch, showered in rust sand. Rewind has arrived. "Uh, I think we oughta get out now." Spindrift climbs out one of Wraith's windows, but by that point everyone is already going down down down. Lamborghini Aventador has mechs in his cab! How's that for being in a bind... He just drops, in a form not aptly suited for dropping, and ... ow. That's going to hurt. He opens the doors to let Spindrift and Rewind out once he's hit bottom, though... Meanwhile, topside, Arcee notices some familiar blips on her scanner. She approaches them in order to meet up with them -- only to see them disappear off her scan. "Huh?" She goes to investigate, and...ends up falling in with the rest of them. "Ah!!" Solstice had but a moment to watch the ground do the weird spin-sucking thing. "Guys?!" Two steps and a leap to try and grab ahold of someone who's falling in, "!" Rewind gets out through one of Wraith's doors and looks around. "Woah.... what have we here?" He's filming all of this, of course. "I... I don't think this is on the Autobot database..." He looks at the others. "Everyone Ok? You guys have any idea where we are?" Everyone falls through the sand! And... down into a dim tunnel? It's not a particularly gentle landing either. But at least they shook the sharks. And... Prime. Prime is probably back up there fending them off. The gang is quickly surrounded by sentries that aim pretty crude spears at them. These mechs have pretty ancient altmodes that don't appear to be well maintained at all. And they look weary, extremely so, but they continue to point their spears menacingly. One is jabbed at Rewind's neck. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" A pause. "Autobot FILTH!" The pink Cybertronian tech car splits apart to reveal Curvy Autobot Warrior Arcee! She's ready to kick aft! Arcee transforms and begins trying to get sand out of her joints, when she's suddenly approached by some mech with a spear. "Hey! Get that thing out of my face," she warns. "Uh." Spindrift scoots back a step. "I wouldn't suggest getting poked with one of those, they look rusty." Debatable if he's talking about the spears or the robots holding them. Solstice lands on her feet admist the fall of sand, shaking her head. A blink and she spins, stave at the ready, optics slightly wide. "?! - Heeeey, how's it goin'?" she asks in a friendly tone, "Sorry about droppin' in unannounced an' all." Lamborghini Aventador waits for everyone to get out of the cab before transforming with a soft grunt... "Well, that felt wonderful. Sport-tuned suspension is not geared for big falls." He turns his optics towards the sudden arrivals and smirks faintly. "Bah-weep-graaaaagnah wheep nini bong?" Wraith transforms seamlessly from a Lamborghini Aventador into a more proper form. Rewind is then approached by spear-wielding strangers, one of whom pokes his neck. "Ow!" He backs up a bit and raises his hands. "Hold on, hold on... let's all just calm down. We're friendly, we mean you no harm! Can we speak to your leader?" He adds, "Please?" The settlers leer at Wraith. Arcee earns a growl, and Solstice just gets more spears jabbed in her direction. Poor Rewind gets pushed around, however. Because he's teeny. "I'll bet Tailslide lead them here," one mutters. "How about we-" "Stand down," booms a loud voice, and a mech in heavy tank-like armor trudges towards them, head held low to keep from scraping on top of the tunnel. "Autobots..." His optics narrow. "Leave now. We don't want any part of your war." "No!" chirps a higher voice, from a much smaller femme that trails after him. "Wait, wait! They've got the medics we need!" "We don't need /Autobot medics/," snaps the tank mech. "Watch th' paint!" is the reply the orange femme gives as she's jabbed at. Solstice sidesteps, spinning stave once and then setting the buttend on the ground, leaning on it. "Why so serious? An' watch th' pokin' please. We aren't here t' cause trouble." She keeps her tone and posture friendly. "An'.. I don't think we're here t' recruit or anythin' either. That'd be impolite t' do uninvited." Optics brightening a bit. "Can we jus' talk a bit?" Wraith sighs and shakes his head, glancing at the others... "Well, I tried." He looks back at the others, realizing he's probably looking a little weather-worn from ...well, stuff. "Look, whether you admit it or not, we're here now and that's how it is. So, that being said, you can either take advantage of that, or don't. I mean, we only have a...what now, medic and someone adept at doing crazy things with energon? Our war did not come here with us, though. So, you are safe either way." Arcee knows how *she* wants to handle this, but it probably wouldn't be very politically correct, so she remains calm and lets the cooler heads decide what to do. She just knows she doesn't really have much love for mechs who greet her with a threat. Rewind stumbles back as he's pushed around, then tries to get back towards the others. "I guess no one ever taught them to pick on someone their own size..." he mutters. He nods at what the others are saying. "Yes! Let's just keep our cool here and talk this out. We're only trying to help. We're also reasonable, just give us a chance!" While he doesn't want to hurt these strangers, Spindrift isn't going to take them pushing around one of his cassette brethren lightly. To which the dillo-bot wedges himself between the settlers and Rewind when he gets the chance. "Now how 'bout we all calm down and stop pointin' finger. Or spears. We ain't here to hurt you." "I'm /so/ sorry," exclaims the femme, shaking her head. "I-I don't know why or how you're here but... If you're offering to help-" "Then we'll be in debt, Loupe!" rumbles the tank. "They'll want us to ally ourselves, and then the Decepticons will have another target to obliterate! ...That one even looks like a Decepticon!" He gestures to long-suffering Wraith. Loupe glares and elects to ignore the tank. "We can absolutely talk," she replies to Solstice, then looks to Rewind, folding her hands. "How do you know of our plight?" The sentries eventually lift their spears, and promptly lean on them heavily, or take a knee. It's very hot here for some reason, even hotter than the desert surface. Solstice stays easily leaned on her stave and offers the femme a friendly, open smile. She keeps her smile even as the sentries back off a bit. "I'd be all up in arms if'en a bunch of strangers dropped in on me all unannounced so I understand th' upset. Thank y' for lettin'us talk though, ma'am." She looks over to Wraith and Rewind, a quizzical brow raising moment before turning her attention back to the fine folks down here. Wraith nods slowly. "Well, at least we're not stabbing one another." He coughs softly. "Rewind, do you have records of our summits with potential allies? Audio only... play just the offers themselves." He looks at the tank. "We ask, and offer, but the choice is ultimately everyone's to make what they get involved with, and how much." He looks around. "We have had many say yes, and many say no, you would not be the first. If you don't want this war, or the Decepticons, then fine. We don't either, trust me. As for debt?" He looks around at them all. "Straighten my rims and we'll call it even." Arcee listens curiously, wondering how long this isolated 'tribe' has been fending for themselves down in this hot place. And what was making it so hot down here, anyhow? It seems kind of strange to her. While the others start to talk Spindrift turns away a bit, tilting his head to the side some. An ear shaped audial twitches as something nags at him. "How come it's so hot down here?" He turns back to the others, particularly Rewind. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but with as much time I spend diggin', it's usually -cooler- underground than it is on the surface. That's why most desert critters live underground and come out at night." Rewind nods gratefully to Spindrift. "Thanks, buddy!" He then looks up at Loupe. "Yes, we encountered a Tailslide on the tundra, and he was gravely ill. But he's doing OK now, we're treating him in one of our hospitals right now. And yes, that's why we're here now. We're trying to find out what happened in order to help him- and you, if you need it. No strings attached..." Then he adds, a bit more quietly, "...though not stabbing us with spears would be a nice gesture." As Wraith speaks, he replies, "Yes! Good idea!" and begins playing back bits of relevant audio data. He then nods to Spindrift as well. "Exactly." Rewind can't help but add, "In fact, speaking of desert critters, did you know a kangaroo rat doesn't even have to drink water? It gets enough moisture just from the seeds it eats. Plus staying in a nice, cool burrow by day, like you mentioned, Spindrift!" The settlers regard Rewind with some curiosity as he offers up an enlightening playback. "Tailslide," the tank growls. Loupe adopts a very cross look that the tank, for all his bluster, yields to. "...I suppose we don't have much of a choice. There won't be much of us by the end of this, if there is an end. I apologize, we're all rather /sick/ down here. I'm Treadgrip. This is a member of my council, Loupe. If there are no strings attached..." Loupe looks to Arcee and Spindrift, "Something is making the energon in everyone's lines boil. They get overheated and die within a few days. We can't figure it out! We don't have trained doctors here... As you can see, we're not a settlement of... high tech." She points to the spears. "Did your doctors find out what caused the sickness in Tailslide?" she asks Rewind. "Wow, that's...really strange," Arcee admits, glancing over at Solstice to see her reaction. This medical/repair thing isn't really her line of work. Sure, she finds it interesting, but she's not trained to assist ailing mechs. She decides to do a little detective work, to assist with possibly finding a cure. "Excuse me, would it be possible for me to talk to some of the afflicted mechs? I want to see if they have a commonality -- maybe they caught something from a single source, or something like that." Wraith looks at the group and nods to Treadgrip. "Wraith." He motions towards the others gathered. However, he's not part of the medical crew that did the initial work on Tailslide, so he doesn't speak to that fact. Instead, he glances at the others. "Just tell me where I need to be for this, I can pull whatever samples may be required." Rewind shakes his head. "Unfortunately, not yet. We do know it appears to be some kind of poison, most likely from your energon supply. We were hoping to investigate that source and try to ascertain what's causing the problem." He looks to Wraith, "Once we get to the source, we may have a clearer picture of what's going on... and what we all can do about it." Solstice peers at Arcee then continues just smiling and watching everyone in a nonchalant fashion. (Player had a doggie crisis moment, all better now) Spindrift scratchs the side of his head with his foreclaws. "And them overheating is bad enough others can feel it?" That part just confuses the poor guy, he's not really all that mechanically inclined. "Well anyways, we should really get to lookin' if they'll let us." "Energon supply...? You think we were poisoned?" Treadgrip sounds incredulous, but Loupe looks quite serious. The sentries whisper to one another. Treadgrip finally shrugs, "Loupe, take them to the reservoir. You're welcome to take samples from a sentry." The mechs push a bedraggled guard forward, who vents a sigh. "Come along then!" Loupe leads the Autobots along the sloping outskirts, where the sides of the gigantic cavern meet the chiseled wall. It soon becomes clear that these mechs hadn't quite built an energon system - they'd simply struck a large, embedded pipe with one of their drills and decided to tap into it. Kind of crudely. The pipe is ripped open in some areas, but the energon flows low and rather slowly, so that isn't a problem. Loupe just hops right in! It comes up to her waist, and she sloshes down the pipe. "I've never been down here before, personally," says Loupe. "This is somewhat exciting!" Rewind has left. Solstice has left. Spindrift has left. Reservoir - Cybertron Underground You come to the edge of a heavy metal structure. Energon flows out of a large iron grate set in the wall of this reservoir, filling the massive tank. Looking below the surface and feeling the tug of the liquid's flow, you see that pipes evidently lead off from the reservoir in many different directions, feeding the energon elsewhere within Cybertron's interior. Several metal rungs set in the reservoir's side lead to a dark passage running off to the west. Wraith has arrived. Arcee has arrived. Combat: Wraith compares his Technical to 70: Success! Combat: Solstice compares her Accuracy to 75: Success! Combat: Rewind compares his Accuracy to 75: Failure :( Combat: Spindrift compares his Accuracy to 75: Failure :( Spindrift watches the small femme slide down into the energon. ".. If it's poisoned ya might not want to be -swimming- in it miss." he just sort of peaks down over the edge, not hard to do with how low to the ground he's built as it is. Wraith ahs... now this is more his area of expertise. He makes his way towards the reservoir, kneeling beside it and pulling one of the extractors on his arms off. "Hmm, let's have a look, shall we?" He dips the extractor's tip into the feeding supply lines one at time, pulling out a sample as he goes along and checking the readouts. What, did you honestly think the energon he drained went straight into his system without being scrubbed first? He pauses at one line in particular, looking at the fluid filling the feed-tank and frowns. "Rewind, come here please." He pulls the device off his other arm and pulls a second sample to look it over. "Check your schematics, I am curious to know where this line is sourced from." Solstice follows Loupe along, sticking close to the group of 'Bots though, using her stave as a walking stick. Wizard she is not but it's a real nice staff. As they get to the ripped open pipe, her easy-going smile strains a bit at the thought of just jumping on it. Pausing to watch Loupe leap in, she shakes her head then looks up, then down the piping. "Might not wanna jump-"signs venting ait through her manifold, "in if th' energon might be th problem.." Optics narrow, dim and she freezes nigh mid-step, a look of concentration on her face, optics closed. "Huh.." Head turning left, right then she turns, cocking her head, optics still shuttered, "Are y' still tappin' into this thing?" Rewind nods as Spindrift speaks. "Yes." But before he can add anything further, Wraith calls to him and he walks over. "Hmmm. Accessing..." For once it doesn't take him too long. "My schematics say it's pretty mundane... sourced from a typical module from the core. It's not too far from here, either. Combat: Wraith compares his Technical to 80: Failure :( "Well so long as we don't ingest it, right?" reasons Loupe. "Tapping? What do you mean?" she asks Solstice as she climbs a latter onto the nearest dry platform. Energon rivers flow every which way down half-pipes. Wraith's little readout will conclude that it's not poison... it's venom. From antlions to be precise! The scraping Solstice hears becomes louder suddenly, and then, from a single passage way, a swarm of flying mecha-antlions fly out! The buzzing is deafening. Loupe takes cover! "Eeek!" Wraith narrows his optics at the readouts and is about to say something when the swarm makes itself known. Well, that will not go over well... He slaps the two devices back onto his arms and begins charging the capacitors... It's just a little venom, after all, and that? Well... He'll worry about that later. At least the readouts will have some hint of what went wrong and why (if things do go wrong). "I hate bugs..." He waits for the capacitors to reach charge before playing bug-zapper, sending out a few carefully directed (ever try to aim lightning?) bolts at the bulk of the swarm. Aim large, hit...something. Usually. BEWARE: Living Bug Zapper! "Oh. That can't be healthy," Arcee remarks with a grimace, as the antlions come flying toward them. Drawing her pistols from subspace, she begins picking the creatures out of the air -- but there's so MANY of them...not the best long-term plan. "Oh bother," is all Spindrift has to say when antlions come buzzing out. He waits for Wraith to open fire, and then brings up his forcefield to help keep any stragglers at bay. "I hope this doesn't mean they've been pissin' in your drinking supply!" ... Someone's spent too much time on earth Rewind hears some strange buzzing noise that only grows louder and louder until- mecha-antlion swarm! The cassette-bot takes a step back in surprise, then adjusts his camera to a wide-angle view to take in the full incredible sight before them. In front stand some Autobots, providing a good reference point to the larger image of the noisy, frantic swarm. "Did you know mecha-antlions are sometimes called mecha-doodlebugs?" he says to no one in particular. "They're interesting creatures- they dig pits in the sand to create a trap that prey then falls into." He looks up at the swarm. "I don't think that *usually* includes Cybertronians, though." He does fire off a flash at some of the bugs that get too close, however, just to keep them at bay. Solstice , while in the middle of confirming that she'd heard something, opens her optics only to see -SWARM-. She freezes then leaps towards Loupe, to defend the femme, stave whirling about only to keep them off of her should they appear interested, "This is *icky*." Loupe peeks between her fingers and gasps. The heavily-sheltered femme is pretty damn blown away by arcs of lightning and lasers and forcefields, and of course Solstice coming to her rescue. "Oh dear... Ah, if there were that many in the pipes, surely some must've died and tainted the supply!" she shouts over the buzzing. Wraith and Arcee take down a decent amount, and the giant bugs fall back into the energon with tremendous splashes. It looks, at least, like these bugs aren't interested in attacking. They seem to be fleeing, up through a hole in the ceiling that they've bitten through. "BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!" Wraith is...not retaliated against? He narrows his optics and steps back from the hole. "Close off that inlet to the energon reserves and allow what is here to filter through. Be on-guard, though. If anyone has a healthy dose of fire worth throwing, have it on standby." He turns his optics towards the route the antlions came from, trying to peer through the dark at what might have chased them out. "Rewind!" Arcee calls over to the trivia-loving tape bot. "What else do you know about these things? They bite, don't they? I seem to recall that they have a nasty bite." Solstice offers a hand to Loupe, stave in the other. "I don't think aimin' high powered anythin' at an energon puddle's such a bright idea when we're standin' in it." She offers thoughtfully, "I mean, I got some firepower but I'd hate t' hurt us too." Pause, "Why'd they not attack us though? WE're invadin' their territory, right? Any entomologists around?" Rewind continues accessing his databanks. "I believe this species is the firebite mecha-antlion. And... yes, not only do they have quite a nasty bite they're venomous, too. In fact," he goes on, excitedly, "...The projections in the jaws of their larva are hollow and through those the larva suck out the fluids of their victims! Like I said, really interesting creatures..." Then it dawns on him the others might not be quite so enthusiastic about that little trivia tidbit. He hastily adds, "....But keep in mind... usually they're not aggressive towards our kind! I think they just want outside!" Wraith nods slowly as he listens to Rewind. "Yes, but why do they want outside so suddenly?" Spindrift snorts. "But if they want out so badly, what's -behind- them is what I'm worried about." Either the group spooked the swarm or something /did/ drive them out, but Wraith can't pick up anymore movement down the passage. Loupe trembles but salutes from her crouched position and takes Solstice's hand. "W-we'll seal it off at once!" She pauses to transmit the request, and there's the sound of hammering before long. "Dreadful. Wraith, you think there's something else in here? ...We'll have to find a new source! Nevermind with it, we still need a cure. Will your doctors continue to look for one?" she asks hopefully. Wraith looks at the canisters on his arms and nods. "Indeed we shall. I have the samples here we can use, and I'll get them back to our lab technicians immediately." He takes a last moment to look down the tunnel before backing away from it. "Venomous..." Arcee makes a disgusted expression, staring down into the energon 'lake' at the smoldering remains of one of the antlions. She feels like shooting it a few more times, just to make sure, but...shots directly into energon is a bad thing. She longed to get back to the surface, to more familiar territory. Spindrift looks down at the antlions that collapsed from the defensive jolt. "Should we bring back one of the actual mecha-bugs too?" Rewind continues filming the swarm's exit, then nods to Loupe. "Yes, our doctors are working on it as we speak. We'll be happy to bring an antivenin to you when we find one, if you would like. Again- no strings attached." he looks over at Spindrift. "Yeah, that would probably help, wouldn't it? Especially useful in finding the cure." Loupe looks incredibly relieved. She claps her hands twice, "Time is of the essence! Yes, take anything and everything. We'll provide you with whatever you need! I cannot thank you enough."